History of Classical Sanskrit Literature c19.s1.41

c19.s1.41

**207. Kūrattāḻvār** or **Śrīvatsāṅkamiśra**, son of Rāma Somayāji, was born at Kūram near Kāñcī in Kali 4141 (1039 A.D.).¹⁰ He was a pupil of Rāmānuja. He belonged to a wealthy family but abondoned his riches and migrated to Śrīraṅgam to join Rāmānuja. There he became a mendicant and lived by alms. His memory was supernatural and it is said that when Rāmānuja was not permitted in Kashmir to make a copy of Bodhāyana's Vṛtti on Brahmasūtra, Kureśa could by a single reading of it repeat the work. Thus he helped Rāmānuja in his composition of Śrībhāṣya of which he was his ananuensis. When King Kuloṭṭuṅgacola I summoned Rāmānuja to his presence to accept the Śaiva faith, Kūreśa personated Rāmānuja and when he attempted to argue the superiority of Vaiṣṇava faith the cruel king ordered his eyes to be put out. Kūreśa is the founder of the family of the Bhattars of Śrīraṅgam.¹¹